


A Series of False Nevers

by rage_for_love



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Alternate Universe - Parents, Becoming Parents, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Surrogacy, Time Skips, it's really cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-12 22:05:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11171010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rage_for_love/pseuds/rage_for_love
Summary: In which Gerard and Frank make several promises for themselves, most of which they break.





	A Series of False Nevers

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the following prompt from otpprompts on Tumblr:
> 
> "Imagine your OTP in the 'Never' State Farm commercial."
> 
> I put my own twist on things, however, to turn it into this fluffy thing. 
> 
> Warnings: None

"I am never getting married."

 

 

Mikey peered over the edge of his coffee mug at his brother. He wasn't surprised by what he had just said; these sort of grand declarations were common for Gerard, even in the midst of the most mundane of activities, such as drinking coffee with his brother in the mornings. That did not, however, mean that Mikey was going to ignore it. Gerard's brain was an interesting thing, and Mikey was one of the few people who got the oppurtunity to understand it, what with Gerard being a basement-dwelling hermit and all.

 

He took one last sip of his drink before sitting his mug down on the table. "And why is that?"

 

Gerard shrugged, long strands of black hair falling in front of his eyes. "I don't know," he said, though he and Mikey were both fully aware of the fact that he totally knew. "I just think it would be too hard."

 

Mikey laughed. "Well, yeah. Relationships aren't supposed to be easy, Gerard."

 

Gerard sighed and shook his head, the international symbol of 'you're-just-not-understanding-what-I'm-trying-to-say.' "Yeah, but... Marriage is so different. The law is involved. And money. And so much commitment."

 

Mikey covered his mouth as he stifled a laugh, almost spitting his mouthful of coffee across the table. "Is my big brother trying to tell me he has commitment issues?"

 

Gerard swatted at the air, a tinge of pink beginning to spread across his cheeks. "No! I mean, not really. Well, I might-- if I had anyone to commit to, that is."

 

It was all Mikey could do not to fall to the floor and burst out laughing upon seeing how flustered his brother was. "Let me get this straight, -- you're saying that marriage is a bad idea because you have to commit?" he asked.

 

"I'm not saying it's a bad idea," he responded. "Just not something I could see myself being able to do." He paused, thinking. "Of course, it wouldn't be entirely my problem, either."

 

Mikey raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

 

"I'm a handful, Mikey." Gerard had stopped blushing now, going from looking embarassed to just plain sad. "Who could possibly want to put up with me for the rest of their life?"

 

In that moment, Mikey's heart dropped. He hated it when Gerard talked like this, even more so when he knew he meant it. He was his big brother, his hero. No matter what he had done in the past, -- and still did, sometimes, -- he was still a wonderful person who was deserving of others' love and time. But Gerard didn't believe that, and no one could make him.

 

That didn't mean that Mikey would stop trying, though. "That's not true, Gee," he said quietly.

 

Gerard stayed silent, vacantly staring up at the ceiling in an effort not to meet his brother's eyes. It wasn't until a few moments later that he replied. "That's what you think."  
                                                                                       - - - - - - - - - - -

 

"Oh God, Mikey, how am I supposed to do this?"

 

"Don't know, bro. I've never proposed to anyone."

 

Gerard sighed at his brother's unhelpful words as he cradled the phone closer to his ear. He tightened his free hand around the black velvet box that sat in front of him on the kitchen table. "I know that. What do you think I'm supposed to do?"

 

"I think you're supposed to get down on one knee or something like that."

 

Though he knew his brother couldn't see him, Gerard couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You know I'm more creative than that."

 

"Both knees, then?"

 

"No."

 

Mikey laughed. "Okay. No knees will be involved. Noted."

 

"If you don't help me now, I'm hanging up the phone."

 

"Okay, okay." Mikey's tone changed, ever-so-slightly lessening Gerard's anxiety. "Do you have a ring?"

 

Gerard looked back down at the box in his hand. He smiled, absentmindedly flipping open the top of the box. The fact that the situation was real still amazed him, even as the gold band sparkled in the early morning sunlight streaming through the window. "Yeah," he said. "I do."

 

"Alright, then. That's a start."

 

Gerard continued to toy with the ring as he thought to himself. "Maybe I could just slip it on his finger while he sleeps and wait until he notices."

Mikey snorted. "Dude, that is literally the worst idea."

 

"Well, if you're so smart, you tell me what to do." He closed the box and sighed. "I'm just... blank. I'm really that scared, Mikey. Hell, this is probably the scariest thing I've ever done. What if I mess up? What if--"  -- he paused, unsure if he really wanted to put the thought that was eating at him out there. Finally, he decided to bite the bullet, though he could barely bring his voice above a whisper. "What if he says no?"

 

Mikey replied immediately, always the one to reassure. "You won't mess up. And he'll definitely say yes. You two have practically been ready for the altar from day one."

 

Gerard sat and mulled over his brother's answer. He could so clearly remember when he and Frank first met. As cliched as it may seem, it was like a switch had been flipped. Suddenly, nothing was ever the same, including Gerard's views on marriage, apparently. Honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way.

 

His sentimental reverie was interrupted by the sound of beeping coming from the phone. Mikey was dialing someone.

 

 

"What are you doing?" Gerard asked.

 

"Adding Ray to the call," Mikey replied. "He gives the best advice. Plus, he and Christa have been married for a year, so he must have done something right."

 

"Mikey, I don't think Ray wants to give me advice right now. He's probably still asl--"

 

"Hello?" He was interrupted by Ray, who did, in fact, sound rather sleepy.

 

"Good morning, Raymond!" Mikey exclaimed. Gerard buried his head in his hands.

 

"Mikey?" Ray asked. "What are you--"

 

"Listen, Ray," Mikey interrupted. "Gerard's on the other line. Apparently, the lover boy finally decided to ask Frank to marry him."

 

That information seemed to wake Ray up. "Seriously? You're kidding!"

 

"Nope! I'm being one hundred and one percent truthful. Isn't that right, Gerard?"

 

"Yeah, yeah," Gerard replied. "I'm trying to propose to my boyfriend. Let's tell the whole world."

 

"Trying?" Ray asked.

 

"He's too chicken to do it," Mikey chimed in.

 

"That's not true," Gerard snapped. "I just want to make sure I do it the right way."

 

"He doesn't want any knees involved."

 

"Shut up, Mikey." He sighed. "The point is, Ray, I want to be creative. I want it to be special."

 

"Creative..." Ray trailed off, a yawn peeking through. "How 'bout a collage?"

 

Gerard's ears perked up. "A collage?" he asked.

 

"Yeah," Ray replied. "Like, ah, important moments in your relationship. Pictures and stuff. And something like, 'Frank, will you marry me,' I guess."

For the first time in a week, the gears in Gerard's brain began to spin due to something that wasn't doubt or anxiety.

 

Most of he and Frank's relationship had been preserved within photographs. A box he kept under the bed contained mountains of Polaroids and drugstore printouts, a plethora of moments captured by friends. The contents appeared simple enough; typical couple stuff, all genuine smiles and flushed, blushing faces, eyes swimming with love long before those three important words were ever put out in the open. In that moment, he was more thankful for that box than ever before.

 

 "Raymond Phoenix Toro," he began. "I am indebted to you, and I will love you for the rest of my life."

 

"That may be a problem," Mikey quipped. Gerard ignored him.  
                                                                                    - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gerard spent two days making the collage, putting blood (papercuts,) sweat (repetitively driving to and from the craft store,) and tears (pure joy... and also papercuts,) into the collage. He had locked himself away in his office as to prevent Frank from finding out what he was doing. The element of surprise did not mean that the other man was not suspicious, however. Though he wasn't quite sure what his boyfriend was doing, he knew he was doing something. He just didn't know what yet. But he swore on the name of every dog he had ever owned that he would find out.

 

At the moment in question, he was standing outside of the door with a steaming cup of coffee, Gerard's personal kryptonite. After three years of dating, Frank knew Gerard's weaknesses all too well, and exactly how to use them to his advantage.

 

He knocked on the office door. "Babe, I made you coffee," he called. He made an effort of making his voice as sugary sweet as possible, knowing that sweet talk was yet another weakness of Gerard's.

 

Despite this, it yielded no response on this particular occasion. This surprised Frank. Gerard was nothing if not attentive. Convinced it was a fluke, he rapped on the door again.

 

"Gee, coffee!" he called. Still nothing.

 

Noting the absence of music behind the door, Frank finally reached the verdict that Gerard had his headphones on and simply wasn't hearing him. With his curiosity getting the best of him and the coffee in his hand getting cold, he reached into his  pocket for loose change. He finally retrieved a penny. With a grin, he successfully jimmied the lock and let himself in.

 

 

 

 

Upon entering the room, he stopped in the doorway for a while. Just as he had suspected, Gerard was hunched over his desk working away at something. Frank melted a bit just watching him. He had always loved watching Gerard work on his art. Part of this was because he knew it made him so happy. There was also the utter passion that was so apparent as he worked, as if he was contained within a world that was completely composed of him and his projects, leaving Gerard to shut out all of the world's evils as he drew or painted or glued bits of this and that together. Frank's favorite thing, however, would have to be how he looked while he worked. The only time when there was more love in Gerard's eyes than when he was making art was when he was looking at Frank.

Slowly, Frank crept up behind him. Once he was right up on the well-worn office chair Gerard was sitting in, he sat the coffee cup down on the hardwood and snaked two affectionate arms around his boyfriend's shoulders. "Good afternoon, my love."

"Frank!"

Suddenly, Gerard whirled around in the chair, knocking the styrofoam cup full of coffee to the floor. Frank would have had the same fate had he not jumped out of the way. Surprised by Gerard's reaction, Frank took another step back. "What is wrong with you?"

Gerard had turned a deep shade of red by this point. Contrary to what Frank had expected, his blushing seemed to be the result of rage rather than flattery. He yanked one earbud out. "Have you ever heard of privacy?"

Frank tried to mask his hurt as he responded. "We've lived together for a year now. Your privacy is mine at this point." He took a few careful steps back towards the desk, laying a gentle hand on Gerard's shoulder. "Come on. You should take a break. Why don't you come sit with me for a little bit? I could make us lunch."

"No," Gerard snapped, laying his arms over the desk in what seemed to be some sort of defense mechanism.

Stung, Frank took a step back. He bit his lip. "But I miss you."

Gerard sighed and turned the chair around again.

That was when Frank caught sight of what he was working on. It appeared to be a collage of some sort, bits and pieces of glossy paper glued onto cardstock. That in itself wasn't unusual -- what caught his eye were the letters.

  
In the midst of the scraps, there were words, large letters written in pink pencil. He couldn't read most of them, but there were some letters in particular that stood out to him, and they appeared to spell out his name.

  
"Gee," he said. "What is that?"

  
That was when Gerard completely stilled. He didn't even seem to be breathing. Slowly, he stood up and stepped away from the desk. "I had planned to wait to do this," he said.  
At this point, Frank was really concerned. "Wait to do what?"

  
"-but I figured the sooner, the better," Gerard continued. He turned around, finally making eye contact with Frank. There was some sort of emotion that Frank couldn't exactly decipher written across his face. "So why don't you come take a look?"

  
Frank hesitantly moved closer to the desk, sort of afraid of what he might find.

  
It didn't quite sink in for a few seconds. He looked down at it without blinking, desperately trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

  
The pictures glued to the posterboard were all of the two of them. He recognized most of them, the few exceptions featuring him being obviously inebriated, or, in one case, asleep and huddled against Gerard, also sleeping, in the back of Ray's van during that one road trip they all took together.

  
In the middle of the photos were five words. No matter how simple they may have looked, those words meant the world to him, having the potential to change his life.  
Between all of the pictures, in the handwriting of the man he loved, were the words: 'Frank, will you marry me?'

  
When he turned around, Gerard was looking at him with the look of love Frank knew so well, this time tinged with obvious anxiety. He looked so adorably afraid, it was all Frank could do not to tackle him.

  
But when he opened his mouth and asked 'so?' in that cute little voice of his, he stopped holding back.

Within seconds, they were intertwined, arms around each other, lips pressed together so close it was a wonder they could breathe.

  
After a while, Gerard pulled away. "Should I take that as a yes?"

  
"Absolutely," Frank replied, his head now resting against Gerard's shoulder. "But can I tell you one thing?"

  
"Sure."

  
"There's kinda coffee all over the floor."  
                                       - - - - - - - - - - - -  
"We are never having kids."

  
There were quite a few reasons why Frank might have been saying this. He and Gerard weren't exactly what came to mind when you thought of parent material. They were still so young, still trying to kick bad habits and enjoy their newfound marital bliss without constantly thinking about the pitter-patter of little feet. None of these reasons were what lead to Frank's statement, however. No, his declaration was purely the result of the fact that there was a child screaming its head off on their flight.

  
Despite the fact that the child's shrieks were giving him a headache, Gerard couldn't help but be amused by his husband's annoyance. "Hypocrite," he said. "You're loud sometimes, too, you know."

  
Frank rolled his eyes. "We are on a redeye flight with the devil's spawn. This is hardly the time."

  
"Says the king of dirty jokes," Gerard shot back.

  
Frank elbowed him in the side. The jab lacked his usual strength, because of fatigue, Gerard knew. Though the six months of planning the wedding had been draining both physically and financially, he didn't think he had ever been as exhausted as he was now that the main event was finally over. Then again, he had never really felt this happy, either. He and Frank's life together had officially begun, and they had the rest of however long they'd be around to look forward to. Gerard had never been so excited about living.

  
"I at least know not to say anything embarrassing in public, you twit."

  
"Twit?" Gerard laughed. "Come on, Frankie. You could do so much worse."

  
"Just because I can doesn't mean I will." He yawned, leaning back against the neck pillow he had attached to the seat's headrest. "That is really something you should learn."

  
Gerard chuckled, watching as Frank began to doze off beside him. Now that the screaming was dying down and they still had over an hour left before they landed in LA, now would probably be the time to drift off himself. Alas, Gerard never slept until his mind did, and with his thoughts occupied by his own thoughts about one day adding children to their domestic wonderland, that probably wasn't happening anytime soon. He nudged Frank gently, startling him out of his half asleep-half awake state.

  
Of course, Frank sort of freaked out, jolting awake with a loud gasp. Once he realized that the plane wasn't going down and Gerard just wanted to talk, his eyes flashed with irritation. "Jesus, Gerard, what is it?"

  
"Not all kids are demons you know," Gerard started.

  
Frank groaned, pressing his palms into his eyes. "That's what this is about?"

  
"I'll have you know Mikey was an excellent child," Gerard continued, making it clear that Frank wasn't getting out of this discussion.

  
"Yeah, Mikey was," Frank said. "But I'm not heading to my honeymoon with Mikey, am I? What were you like as a kid, Gerard?"

  
Gerard rolled his eyes. He had been hoping he could avoid this question. "Well, I wasn't a brat or anything," he said. "I was just... a bit hard to take care of. Maybe a little impressionable. I might have tried to jump off the roof to see if I could fly once or twice." 

  
Frank laughed. "You were always an idiot, huh?"

  
Now it was Gerard's turn to dig his elbow into Frank's side. "Shut up. I was five."

  
Frank settled back into his seat. "Yeah, well, I'm not dealing with any nutcase toddlers." He yawned, resting his head on Gerard's shoulder. "We can't have kids, Gerard. It's too likely they'd turn out like you."

  
Gerard scoffed. "You know you love me."

  
"I do," Frank said, "but I can only deal with one of you. You're kind of a handful."

  
Gerard leaned against Frank, finally giving in to the idea of rest. "Don't I know it."  
                                  - - - - - - - - - -  
Frank had never been so terrified in his entire life. Sure, he was nervous by nature, but nothing compared to watching in horror as one of his friends literally gave birth to his child, almost breaking his husband's hand while she was at it.

  
Gerard was doing surprisingly well, staying by Lindsey's side and offering every encouraging word in the book, though, judging by the fact that she was growling, Frank wasn't sure if she appreciated it.

  
"You're doing great, Linds," he continued. "Just fantastic. Keep going."

  
"Does it really look like I have the choice not to?" Lindsey managed. She stopped and let out another ferocious scream-growl, squeezing Gerard's hand again. "If you want another one of these, you're gonna have to get somebody-- aagh! Ice! Somebody bring me some ice!"

  
Gerard turned towards Frank, who had his head between his knees to keep from fainting when they first arrived and had been sitting in the chair a nurse had pulled out for him ever since. "Go get her some ice chips, Frank?" he asked.

  
"Sure." Frank tried his best to ignore how lightheaded he was when he stood up, telling himself he'd feel much better once he got out of the room for a little while. He had never known that giving birth took so long. Lindsey had been pushing and screaming for almost two hours, and not much had happened. He was more anxious now than ever before -- they should have gotten somewhere by now, right? Was it supposed to go so slowly?

  
He made his way down the hallways of the maternity ward to the elevator. He pushed the buttons that would lead him to the cafeteria floor. Once there, he stopped at the ice machine next to the water fountain and filled a Dixie cup with ice. He looked back at the coffee machine and decided he and Gerard could probably use a little caffeine, so he filled up two more cups with a dark roast, Gerard's with cream and sugar, his without. He paid for his goods and ever-so-slowly walked back down the hallway to the elevator.

  
As he rode back up to the maternity ward, he was once again faced with the realization of just how much he and Gerard wanted this kid. Even though he had just vowed two years ago he would never put himself through this, his slow but sure change of heart had come around full circle about eleven months ago. Soon after, he let that fact slip, only to find out that Gerard had been waiting for him to change his mind since they got married. So they talked and talked and talked about it, finally coming to the conclusion that they were as ready as they'd ever be. Then they started telling people, though they weren't quite sure how or if they would go through with it. But then Lindsey, -- sweet, wonderful Lindsey, -- volunteered to carry their child for nine months, because, in her words, 'that's what friends are for, right?' One appointment and a few hundreds dollars later, Lindsey was pregnant, and it was all so very real.  
Frank had gotten cold feet once or twice, he had to admit. Having a person that he was responsible for caring for and teaching how to live was a daunting idea, to say the least. He and Gerard had made sure they were prepared, though, and the new love he felt growing in his heart assured him that it would totally be worth it. With all the time and research he had put in over the last nine months, he could write his own book on parenting, and the kid wasn't even out yet.

  
He returned to the room to find that not much had changed. Lindsey was still growling and gripping Gerard's hand, Gerard was still giving her encouragement that belonged on an  inspirational poster, and the doctor was still shouting 'push!' at her as if she had forgotten how to.

  
Frank sat his own cup of coffee down and handed Gerard his. Gerard smiled upon seeing his cup. He took a grateful sip before kissing Frank on the cheek. "Thanks, hon," he said.

  
"Give me the damn ice," Lindsey said from between gritted teeth. Frank stifled a laugh as he handed her the cup. She poured the shavings into her mouth, crunching them loudly between her teeth as she gave her next push.

  
"You're doing an amazing job," Gerard continued. "Really, if I wasn't gay, I'd marry you."

  
With a mouth full of ice, Lindsey couldn't respond. Judging from the look on her face, however, Frank knew any response she would give probably wouldn't be kind.  
                               - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
About half an hour later, something changed. For one thing, Lindsey's screams got louder. At first, that scared Frank, but he soon found out from Gerard and the doctors that that meant that the baby was actually coming, she just needed a few more pushes.

  
The world seemed to be moving in fast motion. Frank left again to get Lindsey some more ice, rushing back this time just in case she ended up having the baby without him. Soon, Gerard was holding both Lindsey and Frank's hands, and the doctor announced that she just needed one more push.

  
Those few seconds seemed to move slower than all of the hours they had been in the hospital combined. Lindsey let out a noise akin to the sound of black metal, and Frank wasn't sure if he'd need to catch Gerard or Gerard would have to catch him, and oh, God, oh, God, ohGod, it was actually happening.

  
And suddenly, it all stopped with the sound of a cry.

  
The doctor stood up, a triumphant smile on his face. "It's a girl," he announced.

  
Frank didn't really remember much about the next few minutes. He might have blacked out, if only for a few seconds. Gerard went and cut the cord, leaving Frank to sit next to Lindsey, who was crying. Frank didn't try to ask why, exactly; he knew a bit about hormones and all, and that had to hurt. Instead, he pulled his chair next to the bed and put one arm around her. "Thank you," he said quietly.

  
"Never again, Iero," she replied. "You're welcome, but never again."  
                              - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
Frank didn't get to see her until an hour later. He had stayed with Lindsey in the room they had moved her to. Once she fell asleep, he decided he'd go find Gerard.

  
He found him exactly where he expected. There he was, staring at the infants behind the glass, a look of awe on his face.

  
Frank greeted him as he usually did, wrapping his arms around him and resting his head on his shoulder. "Which one is ours?" he asked.

  
Gerard smiled, pointing to the fourth baby down. "There she is," he said.

  
As soon as Frank saw her, he knew he could have guessed. She had a head full of dark hair, the smallest birthmark beneath one eye, and a look of peace that was remarkable, even for a sleeping newborn.

  
Suddenly, there was a feeling in Frank's chest that was damn near indescribable. It was strange, really; he had never felt something exactly like it, but it was still familiar enough to be comfortable, a bit like returning home after a long trip. It didn't take him long to realize that this feeling was love, if a sort of love that was different from the kind he usually felt. This love was a sort of overwhelming happiness, seeming to overflow from deep within him, -- which was rather surprising, because he had never really bought into the schtick about 'feeling from the heart.'

  
The feeling soon lead up to a grand realization of sorts. Holy hell, he had a daughter. He and Gerard were parents. They were in charge of this little girl's life, -- the first eighteen years of it, at least. What surprised him the most was that he was ready. He was capable of being a dad. He was bound to make some mistakes at some point, but he and Gerard had all of the love in the world for this kid and each other, so it would all be okay in the end. It was their latest wild ride, and they were so very ready for it.

  
He smiled and held Gerard closer. "I love her," he said. "She reminds me of you."

  
Gerard let out a quiet laugh. "Don't say that."

"But she does," Frank protested. "Perfect. Just like you."

"Try saying that when we bring her home," Gerard laughed. "You did say you couldn't deal with two of me, after all."

Frank shook his head. "I think I changed my mind."  
                                                                                         - - - - - - - - - - - -  

                 
If there was anything Frank and Gerard had learned in their three years of parenthood, it was that sleeping got a whole lot harder. They thought they would be done with such a dilemma when Bandit finally began sleeping through the night, giving the two of them the ability to as well, -- as soon as Frank assured Gerard she was still breathing, that is. However, this assumption was soon proven incorrect when she learned how to walk, thus igniting her overwhelming desire to explore everything around her, as well as her mysterious ability to escape her playpen in order to do so. As it would turn out, being poked in the side by a toddler to find that she had created a crayon mural on the wall erases all possibility of a relaxing Sunday afternoon nap.

  
"I was right when I said she took after you," Frank said in an oddly proud voice as Gerard scrubbed away at the 'masterpiece' with a Magic Eraser.

  
"And I told you not to say that," he replied. "Looks like you've jinxed us here, Frankie."

  
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad." Frank sat down next to him on the carpet. The only reason he looked that smug was because he had already slept for a good forty-five minutes. "I'm sure you did something like that once or twice. It's in her blood, after all. She has the artist gene."

  
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you gave her the idea." He dropped the sponge and sighed. He had gotten off most of it; the work he had done would just have to do.

  
Frank's smirk turned into a look of sympathy as he wrapped an arm around his husband's shoulders. "Come on," he said. "Let's lay down a little bit longer. I got Lady B down for her nap already."

  
"That sounds like an excellent idea."

  
The two of them were silent for a long while. They settled on the couch, arms around each other, Frank's head resting on Gerard's shoulder. They were both almost asleep when Gerard broke the silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Frank?"

  
"Yeah?"

  
"We're never having another kid."

  
Suddenly, Frank pulled away. "Actually," he said. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that."  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 Frank was awoken by the sound of crying for the second time that night. He turned to the baby monitor and groaned, sitting up, only to be stopped by Gerard's hand on his arm.

  
"Don't," he said. "I've got it."

  
Frank gave a sleepy nod and returned his head to his pillow. He slowly slipped back into dreams as Gerard got up and quietly headed down the hall. He found himself awake again when he heard the sound of not one, but two cries. Knowing that it was probably best Gerard didn't try to hold two babies at once,  he roused himself and made his way to the twins' nursery.

  
In many ways, having a baby the second time around was different than the first. For one thing, Lindsey had meant it when she said 'never again,' quickly making her stance known when Gerard and Frank announced that they were planning to welcome another child into the family. Thus, they began their search for another surrogate, finally finding their fit in Jamia Nestor, a family friend of the Ieros. Once again, the process was successful, perhaps more so than they expected.

  
The entire Iero-Way family accompanied Jamia for the first ultrasound. It had proven to be an exciting event before they even left, with Bandit happily rambling about seeing her new sibling the entire week beforehand.

  
When the day finally came, the four of them crowded into the small, dark office to catch their first glimpse of the new addition, only to be met with a look of surprise on the technician's face when she examined the screen.

  
"Congratulations, family," she said. "It appears that you're expecting twins."

  
The last thing Frank remembers from the appointment was mumbling the words 'sweet lord,' grabbing onto Gerard's arm as if his life depended on it as he tipped backwards in his seat.  
As always, the fear turned to excitement after a while. How could it not, with Bandit's frequent squeals of 'two babies,' or coming home from a trip to the store to find his husband painting the walls of what had previously been the guest bedroom, Bandit propped up on his shoulders with a small paintbrush of her own?

  
When the twins finally arrived, there was twice the joy in the household. Family and friends stopped by to visit and put pink ribbons on the mailbox, Ray making a note of saying that he and Christa would be happy to take one if they ever got overwhelmed.

  
All of the happiness in the world wouldn't make twice the late night diaper changes and feedings any less exhausting, though. That would require some sort of magic.  
When Frank reached the room, Gerard was somehow supporting both babies in one of the rocking chairs, humming absentmindedly. A look of obvious relief appeared on his face as Frank took a seat in the chair next to his. "Cherry needed a new diaper," he said. "And Lily's just upset because Cherry woke her up."

  
Frank chuckled as he took Lily from Gerard. "I know the feeling."

  
They sat for a while, waiting until the twins' small whimpers died down. When both finally seemed to have fallen into a sound sleep, they returned them to their crib and padded back toward the bedroom.

  
"You better not tell me that you want another kid anytime soon," Gerard mumbled as he settled into Frank's side.

  
"Mmm, trust me," Frank replied. "Three is good for now."  
                              - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
Most people made a big deal out of anniversaries. Ten years would be an occasion of grandeur for most couples. Gerard and Frank, however, were happy to settle in front of the TV with the kids and a bowl of popcorn.

  
Nothing embodied the definition of domestic bliss quite like the tangle of limbs that was the Iero-Way family, watching the girls' favorite movie for what must have been the fiftieth time in the past month. It was a tight fit, sure, to have all five of them plus Sweet Pea and Mitch on the worn sofa. But between the repetitive whispers of 'pass the popcorn' and Bandit and Cherry's simultaneous protests of 'Lily, we can't see,' Gerard and Frank were perhaps happier than ever before. Everything they had worked for in the past ten years of their relationship had lead up to this, and they couldn't have asked for a better payoff.

  
When the movie was over and the kids had fallen asleep, the two of them savored a moment of quiet, wrapped in each other's arms. Just when they were almost asleep, Frank tucked a lock of Gerard's bright red hair (he had let the girls pick the dye,) behind his ear.

  
"Gee?"

  
"Hmm?"

  
"We'll never change, right?"

  
"Never."

  
That was one of the only promises they never contradicted.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave kudos and comments!


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